Cristiano Ronaldo in unwanted five-year first as Sadio Mane inspires epic Al Nassr turnaround

Cristiano Ronaldo shockingly missed a penalty before Al Nassr battled to a massive comeback win in the Saudi Pro League.

The Portuguese superstar was tasked with netting the opener for his side from 12 yards against Al Fayha on Saturday evening.

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Those watching would have expected Ronaldo to cooly dispatch his effort given his stunning record of 181 career penalties scored.

However, he dragged the ball wide of the left post and behind for a goal kick to ensure it stayed 0-0 with 11 minutes played.

Ronaldo was visibly shocked by what had happened, with the penalty miss being his second of the season for Al Nassr.

He previously failed to score from the spot during their 5-1 win over Al Fateh in October.

Cris cross

It’s the first time since the 2020/21 season that Ronaldo has missed two league penalties in a single campaign.

The last instance came with Juventus when he was unable to convert against Atalanta and Inter Milan.

Matters were made worse for Ronaldo and Al Nassr before the break as an own-goal from Abdulelah Al-Amri put Al Fayha ahead.

But a back-post finish from Sadio Mane brought them level on 72 minutes before an Orlando Mosquera own-goal turned it around.

Abdullah Al Hamdan was on hand to secure the three points with five minutes remaining in a huge win for Al Nassr.

Their tenth consecutive victory has kept them top of the Saudi Pro League with 12 matches to play.

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Win the Saudi title… and then what?

Ronaldo, who recently returned from his strike at Al Nassr, is looking to win an eighth league title in his club career.

He has lifted domestic silverware at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, but missed out on the last three Saudi Pro Leagues.

Al Nassr are leading the race ahead of Al Ahli and Al Hilal, though only three points separate first and third.

Ronaldo might be focussing on league title glory, but he also appears to be planning for a future off the pitch.

It was revealed on Thursday that he has bought a 25 per cent stake in Spanish side Almeria.

Their manager Rubi has even offered Ronaldo the opportunity to become a player-owner at the club.